Adjustable index.



J. H. RAND.

ADJUSTABLE INDEX.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJB. 1915.

1,199,419. Patentedsept. 26,1916.

Fit 1.1.

' "'iNvEN-TnR ATTnRMEYs;

. JAMES H. RAND OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YOBK.

' ADJUSTABLE INDEX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. RAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new;

and usefullmprovements in Adjustable Indexes,'of which'the following is a'specification.-

This invention relates .to an adjustable index which is especially desirable as a hotel register, but may also be adapted to various 7 other uses where it is necessary to insert and ing pockets or compartments adapted to re-.

remove index-slips or cards from time to time.

The object of my invention is to provide a neat and inexpensive index of large capacity which permits the index slips to be quickly inserted and removed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 .--is a sectional face view of one of the leaves or panels of the improved card index used as a hotel register. Fig, 2 is a fragmentary perspective view thereof, partly in section, showing the manner of using the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the panel. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the strips. Fig. 5 is a similar View of one of the index-slips or cards.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. V

The frame or index-panel 1 may be carried by the customary swinging frame or V hinged to a revolvin 85 standard, not shown in the drawings. his panel preferably consists of a plate of sheet metal, such as tin, having inwardly turned side-flanges 2,

forming parallel channels or guides.

3 indicates a series of overlapping trans-= verse strips arranged one below another on the face of the panel, adjacent strips formceive index slips or cards 4. These pocketstrips or walls are preferably made of a stiff, transparent, resilient material, such as celluloid, and are rectangular in form and of a uniform length and width, their length being substantially the same as the distance between the flanged guides 2 of the panel At their top the strips may be doubled, as shown at 5, to present a smooth and thickened edge, which can be easily grasped to separate the free upper portions of the strips. A bar 6 of cardboard or other suitable material is cemented or otherwise securel'y fastened to the base of each transspecification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Sept-26, 1916;

Application-filed August 18,1915. 'Seria1No.46,12 7.

parent strip 3, pi'eferably on its rear side. The ends of these bars extend beyond the lateral edges of'said strips and are confined the guldes 2 of the. panel. At the same tune the bars and the attached strips 3 are .-free to slide vertically in. the panel, in a manner common .to"this class of indexes. The bars 6 are of uniform width or depth and rest edgewise one upon another. In

this normal position of the bars, each celluloid strip extends as far above the adjacent overlying strip as the width of said bars, thus exposing the upper portions'of the interposed name-slips to view; In the'construction shown in the drawings, this distance is approximately equal to the width of the folded portions 4 of the strips. ".In other words, the bars 6 in addition to acting as supports or carriers for the strips, serve as spacers which determine the extent to. 'WlllCh the strips project one above anotherand to which the name-slips are visible. The index slips 4 are of such a width or depth that when fully inserted in the pockets formed by the strips 3, their upper edges reach approximately the tops-of the front walls of the pockets. The index-inscriptions .are written on the upper portions of the slips, so that when the latter are fully inserted the portions bearing the inscriptions are exposed through the folded portions '5 of the transparent strips which form the front walls-of the pockets. When the. index isfilled,the inscriptions on the various slips are exposed in'a column one under another, while the remaining portions of the slips are hidden by' the lower portions of ad acent slips. -.'Preferably these name slips are substantially of the same length as the pocketstrips 3. When it is. desired, to

.insert or remove one of the index slips, the

strip forming the front wall of the respective pocket is seized and sprung or deflected toward the user with one hand, as shown in Fig. .2, while the slip is inserted or removed with the other hand. Upon releasing the deflected wall, it springs back to its normal position, holding the inserted slip securely between it and the back wall of the pocket. Instead of springing the front wall of the pocket to insert a slip, the latter; may be forced diagonally between the corners or end portions of the pocket-walls, and then straightened and pushed into the pockets. The resilience required to return the strips to their normal position, after being deflected to insert or remove a slip, is obtained by rigidly attaching them at their bases to the bars 6. The slips can be readily inserted in the panel or removed therefrom by springing the bars 6 sufliciently to allow their ends to enter or leave the guides 2, the bars having the necessary flexibility for this purpose.

This index, while simple in construction, is compact and neat in appearance and has a relatively large capacity. The ease and rapidity With which the na'me slips can be interchanged or inserted and removed ren ders it a very convenient and desirable register for hotels, hospitals, ofiices and the like.

It is obvious that the pocket strips or walls are not necessarily transparent from top to bottom, but that. only the top portion through which the index slips are exposed need be transparent. Their remaining concealed portions may be constructed of any suitable opaque material, such as heavy paper or card board.

I claim as my invention:

1. An index of the character described, comprising a frame and overlapping transparent strips mounted thereon and forming pockets adapted to receive index-slips, said strips being stiff but resilient and having their'base portions rigidly attached to said frame.

2. In an adjustable index, a frame having guides, overlapping strips arranged in said frame and forming pockets adapted to receive index slips, said strips being stiff but resilient and provided at one of their longitudinal edges with. retaining means engagins said guides.

3. In an adjustable index, a frame having guides, carrying bars having their ends engaged With said guides, and overlapping transparent strips forming pockets-adapted to receive index slips, said strips being stifi but resilient and each having its base portion rigidly secured to one of said carrying bars.

4. In an adjustable index, a frame having guides, a series of carrying bars having oposite ends en a ed with said uides trans-' parent resilient strips secured to said bars, respectively, and terminatingshort of said guides, said strips overlapping one another to form pockets for slips.

5. In an adjustable index, a frame having guides, carrying bars having their ends engaged with said guides, a series of overlapping transparent strips of resilient material forming pockets and each having its base rigidlyfastened to one of said bars, and index-slips inserted in said pockets, the slips being of such a depth that when fully inserted their tops terminate at the tops of the front Walls of the pockets.

6. In an'adjustable index, a frame having guides, transverse carrying bars having their ends engaged with said guides and bearing edgevvise one against another, resilient overlapping strips arranged transversely in said frame and forming pockets for index slips or cards, each of said strips having its base rigidly secured to one of said bars, and index slips inserted in said pockets and each terminating at the top of the front Wall of the respective pocket.

JAMES H. RAND.

the reception of index' 

